Duke Ellington's Legacy

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Recommended: Duke Ellington's influence on jazz music

Legend, stand out, a man who set the bar in the jazz world. Duke Ellington wasn’t the normal everyday hit artist with just one or two big hits we hear on the radio and call great, he was simply a legend. This man was the real deal in the jazz world; he was one of the main guys who put jazz on the map. Duke Ellington didn’t just become great though; just like everyone else, he had to start from the bottom. He had to make his own story. He had to separate himself from others and make a name for himself. This is the story of how Duke Ellington made himself a hit, and how he impacted the jazz world and made a name for himself. Duke’s legendary began when he was a young child. Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington was born April 29th, 1899 in Washington …show more content…

President Lyndon Johnson presented Duke Ellington with the President’s Gold Medal in 1966, President Richard M. Nixon presented Duke Ellington with the Medal of Freedom in 1969 and Duke Ellington also received thirteen Grammy Awards. He also received the Pulitzer Prize, was awarded the French Legion of Honor in 1973, and has a United States Commemorative stamp with his image on it, issued in 1986. Everything about his musical career was great. He wrote music his whole entire life. Saying that music was his most favorite thing to do would be an understatement. Music wasn’t his job, or hobby; it was his life. On May 24, 1974, at the age of 75, Duke Ellington died of lung cancer and pneumonia. His last words were, "Music is how I live, why I live and how I will be …show more content…

For anyone to be great, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication. And the fact that he said he was “never satisfied” is what was truly the key to success. Almost every great athlete, musician, celebrity, etc. that was great at what they did was never satisfied with whatever they wanted to be great at. This trait is what separated Duke from everyone else. Whenever he was told good job, he thought to himself “I can do better.” Because that’s what every unsatisfied person thinks. It’s the drive that he had to do better than what he’s already done. Humans have no limitations. There is always room for improvement. And that’s what pushed himself to write three thousand songs and win many grammys and awards because he knew he could always be better and potentially the best. Another important quote from Duke Ellington was, “A problem is a chance for you to do your best.” It sends a great message. In Duke’s opinion, whenever there is an opportunity to make things better for oneself or others take it. It’s a great message to send to people because people are afraid to take their chances and don’t want to attempt something because they’re afraid to fail. Duke’s confidence is admirable; as if he’s saying when there is a problem, there is a great chance to do something great.This quote really brings a lot of positive energy.

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